I think that is fine to not make your students spar. I think everyone should be encouraged to at least go lightly and under some ruleset but not every students wants that. He mentioned that alot of people take class for fitness. You don't need to spar to get fit. As long as the instructors and students are honest there is nothing wrong with that.

I think that is fine to not make your students spar. I think everyone should be encouraged to at least go lightly and under some ruleset but not every students wants that. He mentioned that alot of people take class for fitness. You don't need to spar to get fit. As long as the instructors and students are honest there is nothing wrong with that.

I think that is the key and also that is the problem. I see people not wanting to spar but yet, having the same idea that they are getting quality self defense training just like those who are sparring. If the instructors are explaining to the students that sparring is an important part of the training and that if they are not doing it, they are not getting the full benefits of the training then everything is good. I don't see that happening. I see a lot of instructors implying that with or without sparring, students will receive the same benefits as those who do whether it be in words or actions. Because of this, you will end up with some "MMA forms" just like the other idiot being discussed on these very same boards.

I ran into a PMA instructor a year or so ago and inquired about their program.

My daughter is interested in MMA type training and we are looking around.

Today, while with the extended family at a restaurant (Mother's Day), I saw three young ladies (ages around 12 to 16) in full uniform wearing their black belts.

I had thought about checking into them as they have a school nearby, but have to wonder about what etiquette is being taught when students are in public, wearing their pajamas with rank - and the ages of the black belts.

The street argument is retarded. BJJ is so much overkill for the street that its ridiculous. Unless you're the idiot that picks a fight with the high school wrestling team, barring knife or gun play, the opponent shouldn't make it past double leg + ground and pound - Osiris

I would, too, be wary of schools where the students walk around outside of the dojo with their uniforms on.

Normally, I would agree, although it just so happens that yesterday I did just that with my students (although we took our sashes off before we went out). You see, one of my students from out of town was visiting, and so we were training for about 5 hours and go hungry. So me, him, and my wife (also a student) walked from the kwoon to a burger place in the ame complex, ate, and went back for another 2 hours. Then again, our uniforms are black pants and t-shirts, so it was only mildly odd.

Not everyone wants to spar---at least we teach women how to hit the bag and targets.

WOW---GIVE ME A BREAK!!! :violent5: :violent5:

How about if I do give you a break:

Not everybody who runs wants to do a marathon.

Not everybody who plays tennis wants to compete in tournaments.

Not everybody who does boxing wants to get in the ring.

I have an excellent Kickboxer in my class and he does all the drills and works out and even helps me teach. He just asks not to spar, and I don't force him into it. People spar at my gym if they want to not because they have to. Can't help it if you're so idealistic that you can't see the other half of this.

The candid interview with BVO and what appears to be a fair reporting is appreciated. This is Joe Mullings, I own The ARmory fight team and manage Hermes, Kurt Pellegrino and a # of other fighters and I am working very closely with Barry and Premier on developing their MMA and BJJ program. Barry is putting forth an extraordinary effort getting the MMA curriculums out to the PMA schools. For those of you on here that own schools, you know its a challenge to introduce new programs that are "different" from what you may have been teaching in the past. The culture of the MMA type curriculum is quite a bit different from the culture in the TMA world.

I give Barry credit, as a businessman and as a student. Barry has given our team carte blanche to develop the programs, he has opened his own academies to the MMA world, bringing in rings, cages, MMA instructors, etc...He is doing it the right way, learning the culture, learning the sport and then will likely be able to put it into a process that others school owners within PMA can then integrate it into their schools.

PMA is spending their own corporate money and not asking the school owners to spend theirs at this point. Premier and Barry are being very generous to those that want to bring an MMA curriculum to their academies.

As I mentioned in a previous posting, not everyone wants to "spar" who does mma, they may want to get some exercise, learn something that could potentially be practical in a self defense situation and generally cross train in something new and fun. I wish those who train, or thinkl they train MMA would stop being so elitist about their own participation in the sport. There is room for all ranges of enjoying the sport.

I am betting that Premier, The Armory and BVO will have a very positive, large scale impact on bringing MMA to more people than any other organiztion out there. Together we are putting out a product that will have integrity, is scaleable and based upon things that work in the cage